Cook the Book: 'Ripe'

If Skittles hadn't already trademarked the slogan "taste the rainbow," we would be nominating it for Ripe, the newly published fruits and vegetables cookbook from Cheryl Sternman Rule, the voice behind 5 Second Rule.

Ripe is a cookbook that takes you on a colorful journey through the world of produce. It begins with reds and pinks (think cranberries, tomatoes, and grapefruits), meanders through oranges and yellows (hello, butternut squash and persimmons), moves onto greens like kale and favas, blues, purple edibles such as eggplant and blackberries, and ends up in the earthy toned realm of onions and mushrooms.

After paging through Ripe, the subtitle ("a colorful approach to fruits and vegetables") makes perfect sense. Each fruit and vegetable is prefaced with a thoughtful intro from Sternman Rule that gives readers insight into her personal relationship with each, tips for proper selection, a few simple uses, and a recipe designed to highlight the best qualities of that particular piece of produce.